The fast-changing relationship between battery footprint and energy returns

摘要

With 2020’s global ship emissions regulation in sight, owners are under pressure to commit tospecific fuel alternatives that now include LNG, Methanol, VOCs, Hydrogen and ammonia, orcomply via emissions abatement. At the same time, advances in the technologies supportingrenewables, battery and fuel cells increasingly mean that single power and propulsionsolutions make sub-optimal use of energy sources.Independent naval architect and marine engineering specialist Foreship believes that theopportunity remains for owners to consider a systems-based approach to power andpropulsion, taking account of energy production and consumption, using case by case analysis.Foreship Head of New Technologies Jan-Erik Räsänen will address the accusations of hypethat have plagued battery energy storage and explore the fast-changing relationshipbetween battery footprint and energy returns. He will also consider the maturity and efficiency of fuel cells, their expected life time and the role energy density plays in spacerequirements.Thought-provokingly, Räsänen will extend the ‘systems-wide’ approach to consider the wasteheat recovery available via steam turbines or absorption chillers as a further ‘alternative’energy source, comparing its ROI with batteries and fuel cells, and examining its viability whenonly battery or fuel cell power are being drawn on.